The Labyrinth King (The Labyrinth Series Book 1) Read online

  “Hello,” he said, his breath thick with beer.

  I gave him a shy glance. “Hi.”

  “What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a tavern like this?” he slurred.

  I stifled an eye roll, if I had a coin for every time I had heard that line. I gave him a shrug, my face staying shy and innocent. My eyes looked down, as if afraid to meet his gaze.

  He leaned closer, his hand reaching out to touch my arm. I kept my revulsion hidden as I raised my eyes up to meet his.

  “Can I buy you a drink?”

  I nodded, “and maybe a pigeon pie?” keeping the innocence on my face.

  He smiled, his teeth yellowed and broken. He signaled to the barkeep and ordered both.

  The barkeep gave me a knowing look, she knew my game but thankfully never interfered. I gave her a slight nod before turning back to the man.

  “Thank you, I haven’t eaten in a very long time.”

  “Why isn’t your husband keeping you fed?” he asked, his breath wafting over to my nose. I tried to not let it wrinkle at the foul smell.

  “I don’t have one.” This was it, the point where I could cast him under my spell. The part where he would be convinced I would sleep with him. The part where he realized there were no reparations to pay if he did. It was a cakewalk from here. I swept my long eyelashes down and then back up, his eyes holding mine. In that moment, I willed him to be entranced by my beauty. A wish as I held his eyes. His gaze glazed over, his mouth parting with deep worship. I smiled, satisfied, and knew he was now mine. They always were somehow, one small blessing in this dark life.

  The barkeep handed over a tall glass of beer and pushed the plate of pigeon pie toward me. My stomach leapt with anticipation, my mouth salivating.

  I forked a piece of the pie and placed it into my mouth. It was so warm and delicious. I wanted to devour it all with my hands. But I kept myself in character. I pulled the fork slowly out of my mouth and moaned softly, turning my gaze back to his as I deliberately licked the fork. His pupils dilated, and he reached down to adjust his pants. His undivided attention filled me, the power over him lighting my nerves on fire.

  “This is delicious, how could I ever repay you?” I said seductively, taking another slow bite. He pulled a pouch out of his pocket and shook it. It clanged with coins.

  “I’ve got money, what else can you give me…” he said, his reddened eyes narrowing on me. I had been expecting his proposition, but not the pouch of money. My plan was to eat and ditch, but the pouch was too tempting an offer to pass up. He wasn’t quite drunk enough to pickpocket and run, not without causing a scene. And who knows which man in here I would need to use next. It was too risky.

  I gave another shy smile and reached for my beer, taking a long sip and letting the sweet liquid fill me up. He watched eagerly. They always wanted the girl to be drunk.

  I ate several more bites as he asked me questions about me. He wanted to know why I didn’t have a husband, where I lived, etc. I lied to him with each answer, telling him what he wanted to hear.

  Finally, I finished both the beer and pie. I leaned over to him, letting my lips barely graze his ear as I spoke. “Do you have anywhere we could go to be alone?” My hand slid slowly up his thigh.

  He stifled a cough, surprised by how forthright I was. If I hadn’t been building it up, letting it simmer before it hit this boil, he would have found that extremely fishy. But it did not register on him now, his penis controlling his sensibilities. He tossed out a few coins onto the bar to pay. We stood up and he led me out the backdoor of the tavern.

  I felt for my dagger, just in case. There was a dark corner, one I had used many times. He led me over to it, as I knew he would. It was shrouded by a wall that was too tall to see over, the perfect place to keep us hidden.

  When we got to the wall, I pushed him hard against it. The secret was to immediately take control of the situation. If you didn’t, then it could go south fast.

  I lowered my gaze to him and let a hand drag down his body as I reached for his pants. He eagerly pulled them off, a small penis emerging from his pants as they dropped to the ground. I almost laughed at how comically small it was. But, I turned my gaze back up to his eyes, a seductive stare that would convince him I thought he had a kraken sized beast down there. Stroking their confidence was nearly as important as actually stroking their cock.

  I knelt down slowly and placed my hand over it, glancing at him as I stroked. His eyes rolled back in his head. He leaned his body weight against the wall. I rifled through his pant pockets with my other hand. He was too busy enjoying himself to notice. Grabbing the pouch, I placed it in my own pocket and kept expertly stroking him.

  The act was revolting, but it was better than letting them touch me. I now had a full belly and a pocket of coins. This was a small price to pay.

  He finished. It only took a few more seconds. He grunted and sunk against the wall in his pleasure, his eyes closed. I took the moment of his disarray to quickly get away, taking off around the corner and down the street before he could register what had happened.

  I slowed when I was far enough away and brushed my hand off on a nearby wall. Then headed for the river.

  Chapter 3

  I continued walking until the road sloped down to the river. It was dark, but the moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky, made even brighter by the reflections on the water. There was a nice sloping spot, I sat and took in a deep inhale of the fresh night air.

  I vigorously wiped my hand on the grass next to me, trying to scrape every memory of him off of me. When my hand turned red from the friction, I stopped and let myself breathe again.

  Directly across from me, on the other side of the river, sat the Labyrinth. The behemoth itself. It stretched wide, no end visible on either side. And it went back so deep that I could barely see the peak of a tower in the middle, shrouded by fog. Thick green vines clung to the massive white stone walls as if they were trying to suffocate it. The bridge was up, but in two days’ time it would be down for the fall tax. As I stared at the Labyrinth, my heart felt a tug, and a shiver crept down my spine.

  I tore my gaze away.

  I looked up at the stars instead and felt small. I wondered about my parents, if they actually were dead. Were they up there? Were they watching me? Were they proud that I had made it this long on my own, or were they ashamed at how I’d survived? If they were up there, I hoped they hadn’t seen what I had just done. Hopefully they only saw the want inside of me, the drive for survival, and a better life. Did they have plans for me when I was born? Were they kind? Were they smart? Or were they still alive and waiting for me to find them somehow?

  I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the person approach, didn’t notice until he was sitting beside me. I jumped slightly and looked over, expecting to see Leo, but a stranger’s eyes met mine instead.

  He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had emerald green eyes with flecks of gold. His hair was as brown with hints of light amber. It was an alluring medium length that gathered at his ears, pushed back as if he often ran his fingers through it. His face looked like it had been carved by the gods. His dark, short beard accentuated his jawline. His skin was golden tan, and he wore a black long sleeve tunic with similar tight black leather pants. His chest and shoulders were broad. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing black tattoos of thorns and snakes slithering up his muscular arms. He was undoubtedly the most handsome man I had ever seen.

  I leaned back abruptly. “What are you doing? Who are you?” I asked, bracing myself, my hand ready at my dagger’s hilt. My heart beat hard in my chest, but he just smiled at me.

  “Hi, Valeria, happy birthday,” he said with a smug smile. “I have been waiting for you a long time.” His gaze bore through me and made me flush. A strange tension formed between us as he leaned closer to me, his breath hot on my face. I felt my skin tingle against it and my nipples harden embarrassingly under my shirt.

  “Waiting for
me?” I asked, shifting myself further away, the draw of him only getting stronger as I fought against it. Who was this man?

  He leaned closer, his eyes glancing down at the peaks of my breasts. His eyes came back to mine slowly, heavy with desire. His lips curled into a wicked smile. Against all reasonable sense, I felt safe with him. My grip loosened on my dagger.

  “Yes, and had I known you were this beautiful, I may have come sooner,” he answered, and then took my hand in his. His fingers were long and gentle against my skin. Sparks shot through me.

  I didn’t want him to see my desires. I needed to keep control. I swallowed hard and rolled my eyes. I started to pull away with a huff, but his grip tightened. I felt fear seize my heart. Or was it lust? His eyes narrowed, but his face was soft. Two can play at this game, I thought.

  “Tell me what you want from me.” I lifted my face to his and narrowed my gaze at him, knowing my eyes looked dangerously inviting. His pupils dilated briefly, glancing down to my parted lips.

  He finally spoke, his eyes not leaving my mouth.

  “I was sent by someone who has grand plans for you, plans that will change your life. I don’t imagine living in an alley and sleeping on a pile of hay is the life you envisioned for yourself?” His eyes flashed back up to mine.

  I swallowed again, my mouth dry. Had my parents heard me just now? Had they somehow sent me this man?

  “What plans?” Where had he come from? Who had sent him?

  “It’s quite simple, really. I need you to enter the Labyrinth when it opens in two days. And then, of course, find the center.” He smiled confidently, as if he had asked me to catch a fish instead of entering certain death.

  I imagine he did not usually have difficulty getting women to do what he wanted, not with a face like that. Not with how he was looking at me now, as if he wanted to devour me.

  I pushed down the desire and laughed, pulling my hand away from his. “Are you insane? Why the fuck would I do that? Do I look like I have a death wish?”

  I started to get up and walk away. Clearly this man was bad news. No matter how fucking hot he was.

  As I turned around, he was suddenly standing in front of me. He placed both hands on my shoulders and leaned forward, looming over me. I braced the dagger hilt again as he spoke in a rushed, serious tone. My heart pounded in my chest, my stupid head swimming with thoughts of what it would feel like to kiss him.

  “Valeria, I know this may sound crazy, but this is your destiny. You must enter the Labyrinth, and when you do, you will find the center. It is within you, you are the only person who can.” He ran the back of his fingers down my face as he spoke, his eyes staring intently into mine. A thrill went through me at his touch. My body was betraying me so much, it didn’t make sense how much I wanted this complete stranger.

  “Tell me your name.”

  “Mr. Tall dark and handsome? The man of your dreams?” he said with a raised eyebrow, teasing me.

  “Your real name.”

  “It’s Alder.”

  “Alder,” I repeated, enjoying the taste of his name on my tongue.

  “Yes, but you can call me whatever you want,” he winked.

  I rolled my eyes, stifling down the heat in my chest.

  “Look, I know you don’t know me, don’t trust me yet. But if you enter the Labyrinth, you can have the life you always dreamt of. You would never have to do those things again.” His expression change from playful to serious, his eyes pained as he spoke and his gaze searching mine. I bit my lip.

  Those things. Could he have known what I had just done? Had he been following me? My breath caught in my throat. Did he think I was a prostitute?

  Was I a prostitute? I asked myself, afraid of the answer. The headmistresses words echoed in my head.

  He spun me around to face the Labyrinth and I was acutely aware of his hands still on my shoulders, of his breath on my neck as he leaned in and spoke again.

  “Listen… if you listen you can hear it call, you are meant for more…” he trailed off, only a whisper now. I stared at the Labyrinth and looked towards the center, towards the tower, and felt a prickle. A slight charge in the air. His hands ran down my shoulders, slowly down my arms, my back arched slightly in response.

  I turned around to look at him, but he was gone. I spun around in a full circle. He had vanished. Heat rose to my cheeks. Did I imagine it? There was no way I could have imagined him. My body was still hot with want. It had to have been real.

  I glanced back to the Labyrinth, searching for a sign that he had been real. But only that strange prickle in the air answered me back.

  I shook my head, rethinking his words. The weight of what he said finally hit me, the cloud of desire floating away and clearing my head.

  You are meant for more.

  Did he know about the letter? Was that just coincidence? How could he possibly know what those words meant to me?

  I walked back to my alley, questioning my sanity with every step. But I felt different, as if something deep inside of me had been awakened. Is it possible that this was what I had been preparing for? Could this man, whoever he was, be the answer to my deepest desires?

  I could listen, leave this place behind, and enter the Labyrinth. Or I could stay here, sleeping on that cold hard stone forever. Seducing men for pigeon pie. Lying to Leo about who I was.

  I already knew which choice I would regret more.

  I took a different road back home, not wanting to run into the man from the tavern. I felt cold, dark eyes on my back, watching me as I went. I did not turn, though. I kept walking forward.

  Leo was standing there when I reached the alley, talking to someone whose face was shrouded by the shadows. He heard me approach and glanced over his shoulder. He shook the hand of the short man he was talking to and the man left in a rush.

  Leo walked over to me. “Did you already go to the river? I tried to get out as soon as I could,” he said. I looked past him, examining where the short man had been standing.

  “Who was that?”

  He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Oh, just a friend.”

  “A friend you’re chatting with in a dark alley at this hour?”

  He laughed, “Well, you are also a friend I’m chatting with in a dark alley at this hour. Is it so hard to believe?” His lips shifted into a smile, and he leaned in closer. His eyes were heavy, darkening into a deep grey.

  I could tell what he wanted. I considered the nice diversion it would be from tonight’s unexpected events. A distraction from remembering the drunk man. A distraction from remembering Alder’s touch. My body was still flushed with desire for him, Leo could fulfill some of those desires if I let him. But not all of them.

  But what I really needed was alone time to rethink everything. If this was real, if this man wasn’t some lunatic who went around to every girl sitting alone by the river, then my entire world was about to change.

  I leaned up and kissed his cheek, “You’re right, I am a friend,” I emphasized, dragging my hand across his chest as I walked around him to my makeshift bed. I relished the feeling of his eyes following me as my hips swayed away from him. The only fulfillment I would be receiving tonight. I turned and gave him a soft look. His smile wrinkled in disappointment and he shook his head.

  “Goodnight, Val, sleep tight.” He winked and then walked into his house. I stashed the coin pouch into my hidden hole in the wall, covering it again with a loose brick before sitting down.

  My body groaned in protest as I laid on my hay bed, my back aching already. Leo would be sleeping soundly in his soft bed, just on the other side of the wall. Sadness washed over me as I thought of how things could be different between us, if we could escape to another life. If I wanted him the same way he wanted me.

  I shut my eyes and tried not to think of Leo. Tried not to think of the tavern. Alder’s words raced through my head. You are meant for more.

  A shiver coursed through my body at the thought of his hard arms, hi
s deep eyes. I wished I was somewhere safe with him, somewhere warm, where he could touch me like that again. It was easy to fantasize, to pretend he was here with me now. A distraction from the reality of my circumstance. The thrill of wanting that perfect stranger on me made me throb.

  I had ample experience with men. All of them meaning nothing, all of them a means to an end. And then there was Leo. Sex with him was out of convenience, out of mutual physical desires. I knew I was leading him on, but was it so horrible to keep coming back to him? To use him to stifle the pain? To use him to forget, even for just a night?

  But this man, Alder, was different. This want was different. I closed my eyes and dreamt of his lips on my neck, his hands on my body. As I slipped off to sleep, I could still see those deep green eyes beckoning me to him. Beckoning me into the Labyrinth.

  Chapter 4

  I woke up before the sunrise as usual, stretching my stiff back and preparing for another long day of work. The night before flooded back to me, and I pictured those tan hands running down my arms. A tingle went through me.

  I had already made my decision. Whatever mystery lay ahead with that man, I would do it. If only to feel that alive again.

  I grabbed the bar of soap stuffed away in the small wall hole where I kept most of my belongings, including the letter. I walked back down to the river, to my usual secluded spot, to bathe and wash my clothes. As I washed yesterday’s grime off of me, the Labyrinth seemed to lord over me with its enormous walls and snake-like vines. Was that where Alder had come from?

  Impossible. I turned my back to it, the strange feeling hitting me again, as if someone was watching from behind those walls. A shiver went through me, I finished quickly.

  Hurrying back to my alley, I stuffed the soap into its hiding place with my newly stolen coin purse. The sun was just now coming up. Leo and his father were moving inside the house. I knew I needed to talk to him, to tell him of my plans. My hand raised to knock on the door, but then a crash echoed inside with muffled cursing. It could wait until after work.